Playa Estacio, a long Mediterranean beach in the San Javier section of La Manga

A 2.9-kilometre stretch of sand on the Mediterranean coast of La Manga

Playa Estacio is a 2,900-metre-long semi-urban beach with an average width of 18 metres and fine, golden sand, typical of the vast beaches along the Mediterranean coastline of La Manga del Mar Menor.

Occupancy is generally low to medium as this part of La Manga is long fairly slender, reducing the local population, although the beach is also next to the Tomás Maestre marina, where a ferry service operates to and from the landward side of the and the town of Santiago de la Ribera in San Javier.

Another well-known landmark is the Puente del Estacio, the bascule bridge which crosses the main channel linking the Mar Menor with the Mediterranean.

The beach runs between kilometres 10 and 12.5, alongside the Pueblo Cálido urbanisation and other residential areas including Las Antillas. It is equipped with footwashes, bins, a cleaning service, disabled access, wooden walkways and children’s play areas, and plenty of restaurants and bars can be found servicing the nearby residential developments.

Access: a bus service runs right along the length of La Manga throughout the day, with several stops near El Estacio, and there is generally plenty of parking in the built-up area except at times in July and August.

Click for more information about La Manga del Mar Menor.

The Mediterranean beaches of San Javier

San Javier has two distinct sections of beaches, one being in Santiago de la Ribera on the shore of the Mar Menor, close to the main centre of San Javier town, and the other on the opposite side of the Mar Menor on the spit of land called La Manga de Mar Menor (or "the strip", as it is often referred to by holidaymakers), where there are both Mar Menor and Mediterranean beaches.

It is important when choosing a beach to understand that the Mar Menor beaches offer shallow and calm bathing conditions, whereas the Mediterranean beaches are wider, longer, windier, and are susceptible to wave conditions and currents.

The internal area of the Mar Menor is divided among several municipalities, or local councils. The La Manga strip is divided into two sections for administrative purposes, although there is no geographical difference, the northern end belonging to San Javier and the lower section which limks with Cabo de Palos falling within Cartagena.

Almost the entire length of La Manga del Mar Menor is lined with holiday apartments, hotels and summer properties, although it does also have a significant year-round residential population. But towards the northern end the land narrows, and the concentration of properties is lower, so the beaches are emptier.

The location of La Manga del Mar Menor beaches is generally defined by kilometre reference. Kilometre 0 is the tourist information point at Cabo de Palos and km 18 is the far end of La Manga by the Esculls de la Llana y Encañizadas, which is where dry land runs out! The northernmost end of the strip is marshy and largely inaccessible, before it finally just fails to join up with the salt flats of San Pedro del Pinatar.

Click to see an overview of the beaches in San Javier, or to go to the home page of San Javier Today for more local news, events and other information.